Girls Night
by bellaBBblack
Summary: A chance meeting with a tall dark and handsome mystery man has Bella realizing what she's been missing.  A/U, A/H
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight or these characters**_

_**Warning: Contains strong language and sexual content**_

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Chapter 1

"Holy sex on two legs!" Alice, my best friend, squealed-yes, squealed, like a love–struck, preteen girl at a Justin Bieber concert-as we shamelessly ogled the demigod leaning across the bar ordering a drink a few stools down from us. And, _oh, my god_, he was absolutely mouth-watering, panty-melting beautiful. He had tan skin and a shock of black hair that hung in his face. His black, button down shirt was taut against his muscles, and I had the sudden urge to see the smooth, perfectly sculpted muscles I was fantasizing about underneath. His dark, smoldering eyes must have felt us staring because he turned his eyes and looked right at us. Alice and Rosalie kept right on staring, making eye contact and batting their perfect eyelashes. I, however, turned a deep shade of crimson and dropped my eyes, letting my hair fall forward and shield me.

"Oh, my god! He's coming over here!" Alice screeched, and I swore it sounded like my thirteen year old niece, Leah, when I took her to see the latest installment of that vampire/werewolf movie last summer.

When I looked up, I saw him striding purposefully towards us, a beer bottle in his hand and his eyes trained on me. I looked around myself, thinking surely he was looking at someone, _anyone_, else. He had an amused smirk and a little twinkle in his eye when he reached me. This man knew how good he looked. When he reached me, he stood right in front of me, his large frame looming over me as he leaned towards me and held out his hand. I looked at it questioningly for one second before placing my pale hand in his. My stomach was suddenly doing little somersaults, and I was about to break out in a sweat. No man this incredibly gorgeous had ever-I mean _ever_-paid any attention to me. He bent his head down until we were at eye level before he spoke.

"Marry me," he whispered huskily, and all the air whooshed out of my lungs, leaving me both shocked and speechless. I could practically feel the heat coming off my skin and knew my blush had darkened to an embarrassing shade of red. After several attempts at swallowing, and trying to ignore the irrational part of my brain that was screaming at me to say yes, I found my voice.

"I can't. I'm engaged," I responded, and my voice sounded so small as I flashed the diamond adorning my left hand. But he didn't falter. His grin only increased, and I swore I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest and a warm pool of wetness soaking my new panties when he flashed his perfect white teeth. Truth be told, I was engaged, but Edward and I had had a huge fight, and I had been staying with Rose and Alice, my college roommates, the last few days. They had dragged me out tonight, kicking and screaming, might I add, claiming I needed a girl's night. The only thought running through my head now was, _Please take me, kiss me, oh, god, please_…

"Then at least dance with me," he countered, his thumb rubbing smooth circles over the back of my hand. The feel of his skin on mine was downright intoxicating, and without conscious effort, I felt myself nodding as he pulled me up and out onto the dance floor. I looked back over my shoulder to see Alice and Rosalie standing there with wide grins stretched across their faces. We made our way through the crowd, and he spun around, pulling my body flush against his. I couldn't have fought it even if I wanted to. And I didn't want to. I swallowed, loudly, as my eyes met his. His eyes were dark, and this close, I could see two small freckles of gold in each deep pool of almost black. The look he was giving me made me feel tingly, like I was burning, like I could just combust right here, right now. He leaned forward, his warm breath tickling the skin below my ear and his husky voice sending shivers of desire down my spine.

"Relax. I'm not going to bite. I'm not the big bad wolf." He chuckled, and I could feel the deep vibrations rumble against my chest. I swore the more he swung me around the dance floor, his strong arms and rippling muscles around me, his fingers brushing along the exposed skin of my hip, his throaty chuckle and sometimes raspy voice singing in my ear, and his moist lips just barely touching the skin at my neck, the more I wanted him-the more all coherent thoughts escaped my mind, the more my knees felt weak and my own fingers clung to his thick arms. Then, his supple lips grazed the skin of my jaw line, his nose trailing along the path, and my panties were suddenly soaked through. I gasped, pulling away as I felt a little wetness dribble down my thigh. He smiled a knowing smile down at me. My cheeks flamed with embarrassment as I escaped his embrace and raced towards the bathroom.

Thankfully, it wasn't crowded, and I raced into a stall, leaning my head against the door with its scrawled writing, panting and flushed with a very real, throbbing ache between my thighs. _Oh_, my _God_, I thought to myself. I had never, I mean never, been affected by a guy this way. Edward and I had a very lackluster physical relationship. It wasn't bad; it was just…vanilla. And normally, it took a lot of heavy petting and kissing and coaxing before I was even half as wet as _tall–dark-and-handsome_ had me with just his warm breath and innocently placed fingers.

I had never wanted someone so bad in all my life. And I didn't even know his name. And I certainly wasn't that type of girl. Other than Edward, I had only slept with two guys: one, my high school boyfriend on prom night, which turned out to be a complete disaster when my Chief of Police father walked in on us-his shot gun was loaded, Mike was pulling on clothes running out the door, and I was left completely mortified; then there was this guy I dated my first couple of semesters in college-he turned out to be nothing but a cheater.

I met Edward right before Christmas break my second year of college at Washington State. He'd always been the perfect boyfriend. He opened the door for me, took me on lavish dates, and remembered anniversaries, holidays, and my birthday. But I couldn't deny that something seemed to be missing. He had asked me to marry him, and I said yes, although I couldn't even say why. I knew that he loved me, that he was a successful doctor, and that could give me a great life, kids, and a family. He would never cheat or lie or leave me. But…it just wasn't enough anymore. So I had picked a fight about him always working, which turned into him accusing me of cheating…and I stormed out.

"Bella? You okay?" Alice's tinkling voice broke through my inner monologue. I opened the door. Her face wrinkled with concern as she took in my flushed cheeks and the scowl on my face.

"I'm fine," I answered, but I knew she would know different. I tried to smooth out my features and take a few deep breaths. If I was wondering what had been missing with Edward, I was sure, more than sure, that the passion and fire I just felt with my mystery man was part of it.

"Hmmm. Okay. But what happened to tall dark and fuckable?" Rosalie piped up from behind Alice. I just shrugged, trying to ignore them. What was I going to say? _He made me feel so hot and horny that I ruined my panties and was about to jump him in the middle of the dance floor, so I freaked and ran to hide in the bathroom?_ Yeah, I'd never live that one down. I went to wash my hands, and they both followed me out of the bathroom.

I stopped dead in my tracks the minute I walked out into the noisy club. He was standing there against the wall, looking so mouthwatering; I felt a new pool of warm wetness seep between my thighs. He pushed himself off the wall and stalked towards me. I couldn't break my eyes away from his. He backed me up into the wall, one arm reaching above me to prop himself up. He leaned down till his eyes were only inches from mine, his minty breath fanning over my face. There was something so animalistic, so unbridled, about the look in his dark eyes. And it was so fucking sexy.

"Do you have your cell phone?" he asked, momentarily breaking me from my trance. I raised my eyebrows in confusion but just nodded, reaching into my back pocket and bringing it in front of me. He quickly snatched it from my hands and flipped it open. He dialed a number, and a moment later, I felt a vibration from his leg that was pressed up against mine. His fingers worked quickly over the keys, and the next thing I knew, he was handing me back my phone, a slight smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth. He brought one finger up, drawing a line down my cheek, and then cupped my cheek with his warm hand, his eyes dropping their gaze to my parted lips. He slowly, agonizingly slowly, leaned forward as my eyes fluttered closed; his lips just barely brushed against mine. Just as I was about to lean forward, needing to deepen the kiss and feel more of this amazing fire this man provoked in me, he pulled away, his lips still only centimeters away from mine.

"Name?" he whispered roughly.

"Bella," I replied breathlessly. He smiled and then lowered his lips to mine again, a little firmer this time. But all too quickly, it ended, and he whispered once more before he was gone. "I have to go. My friends are waiting, but I'll call you."

And then he gone before I could even ask his name, leaving me extremely turned on and frustrated and excited all at the same time. I could feel a spike of adrenaline at his words. A wave of heat washed over me from his kiss, the burn of which I could still feel tingling against my lips as I brought my fingers up, ghosting along my lower lip where his had just been. A slow, crooked smile stretched across my face.

"Holy fuck!" Rose and Alice both exclaimed, echoing my thoughts.

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A/N: Thanks you to jkane180 for beta-ing this story! I love you!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

His rough, calloused hand raked through my brown locks as his thick fingers gripped my hip, and I arched my back into his heated touch. I could feel his smooth, russet skin against mine creating a pleasurable sort of friction. Warm, supple lips moved in intricate patterns down the slope of my neck, across my naked chest, and my exposed middle. I could hear his husky voice in my ear, and my responding whimpers and pleas filled the room.

"Bella!" A woman's voice broke through the fog of my lust-filled dream. I opened my eyes. The harsh glow of sunlight streaming in hurt my tired eyes and my throbbing head.

"What?" I croaked out, my voice hoarse and rough as I searched for my phone to see the time. I found it on the floor next to the jeans I couldn't remember taking off and flipped it open only to be surprised by the text message I found. It was from a Jacob.

Are you thinking about me?

Jacob? It took a few minutes for my sleep-addled brain to start functioning, and images of an earth-shattering smile, perfect, full lips, and tan skin assaulted my mind. My mystery man was Jacob. I squealed in delight just as Rosalie's blonde head burst into my room (or the guest room).

"What's going on? It's almost noon. Get up, girl! And why are you squealing like a teenager?" she mock-scolded, a wry grin playing on her rosy red lips. I rolled my eyes at her, ignored her question, leapt out of my bed, phone in hand, and locked myself in the bathroom across the hall. I heard her mumbling something as she went back into the kitchen. I stared down at his text, wondering how I should answer him. Should I just say fuck it and tell him yes, or should I try to play hard to get? Yeah, right, I chided myself. I'd never been a good liar or pretender. Fuck it then.

Yes. I held my breath after I hit send, sitting in the bathroom and drumming my fingers across the screen, my knees bouncing anxiously. I felt like I was in high school all over again. I gasped when I read his next message.

Good. I've been thinking about you all night. I need to feel your soft body against mine, your sweet lips…mmmm…please say you'll see me tomorrow. I have some family stuff today, but I need to see you again.

Wow. Was this guy for real? My mind was spinning with the feelings and fire this man was creating inside me. Sure, the lust factor was overwhelming-intoxicating even-but there was something else. I felt almost a magnetic pull to him, like there was something inside me that had been waiting for him all my life, a part of me that had already been claimed by him even though I'd never met him before. I shivered with desire and fright and excitement. I had never been one to believe in fate or destiny or serendipity or love at first sight…but there was just something profound and incredible about this man and my unmatched attraction to him. Just as I was about to respond, another name lit up the screen.

Edward.

I groaned loudly. The longer I was away from him, the more I started to see he wasn't what I really wanted. Sure, he was safe and familiar, and he loved me. But I just couldn't deny the pulsing and throbbing of my awakening soul or the very carnal and instinctual need I felt to experience Jacob. I decided not to answer. I'd just have to see what happened. For all I knew, Jacob might just want to get in my pants and then drop me like a hot potato. But hell, the way that man made me feel, I was at least going to find out.

I tossed the phone on the counter and turned on the shower. Just as I finished undressing and was about to climb into the billowing steam, my phone vibrated again with a new text message.

Meet me at my place. 7pm tomorrow night. I'll text you the address. Please say you'll come.

I smiled, and I was suddenly a little nervous. I mean, what did I even know about this guy? He could be some deranged serial killer or something. I decided to agree, but I would enlist Alice and Rose to come along-maybe Jacob had some friends too.

Okay, but I'm going to bring my two girlfriends. Is that all right?

Sure, sure. My friends will be here too to watch Monday night football. We always get together on Mondays. Hope that's okay. I figured you'd feel safer that way.

I must have been dreaming because this man was also considerate. I told him that was fine, tossed my phone on the counter, and stepped into a scalding hot shower. After feeling the heat of Jacob's body, I had a feeling I'd be taking a lot of hot showers until I got to feel it again.

Standing in that shower, images of Jacob started to come into my mind, and I closed my eyes and let my fingers trail down to my sensitive folds, caressing and circling the little bundle of nerves as I imagined Jacob's lips and fingers were there instead. I could almost picture his warm, flat tongue licking, his moist lips sucking as I trembled and convulsed in his arms, screaming out his name and begging for release. The water turned icy cold, stinging my flushed skin and snapping me from my little fantasy.

Frustrated and horny, I decided to call Jacob. Who cared if I was being forward? I wrapped a towel around myself and made my way into the room, locking the door and sitting on the edge of the bed with baited breath as the phone rang. On the second ring, his low, husky voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Bella."

"Hey, beautiful." I could almost hear the smile in his voice. I wasn't sure even how to do this, so I tried to conjure up my very best sex-kitten voice and just go for it.

"Are you alone?" I heard some shuffling and some quiet murmuring. Then a door closed before he spoke again.

"Yeah. Why? You thinking about me or that kiss last night?" His voice dropped lower, its raspy tenure sending shocks of pleasure right between my aching thighs.

"I was thinking about how wet you made me and how much I'm dying for you to touch me," I purred into the phone. My face was flaming red, but I tried my best to steady my voice as my fingers grazed the skin of my inner thigh.

"Fuck, baby. I'm so hard just thinking about your tight little body pressed up against mine. Ugh, I need to feel you so fucking bad," he grunted. I started rubbing tight little circles across my most sensitive area, closing my eyes and falling backwards, the soft mattress meeting my back.

"I wish you were here right now. I need to feel you inside me so bad-your fingers, your tongue…" I wanted to say it, but I was still new at this and a little embarrassed to talk so dirty.

"Shit, honey. Are you touching yourself? Oh, fuck, baby, I wish I could be there to taste that sweet pussy, ugh… I'll make you come so hard, baby, that you'll marry me tomorrow."

I couldn't even think straight. The more he talked, the faster my fingers moved until I was soaking my sheets and panting his name breathlessly into the receiver. I collapsed onto my soft bed, only slightly satisfied. How was I going to make it until tomorrow? And how could this man make me feel this way? I felt slightly disoriented and out of control, a hungry primal need for Jake, who possessed my thoughts and my body.

"Damn, baby. I wish I could see you today," he rasped into the phone, making my legs quiver and shake.

"Me too," I whispered, suddenly feeling a little shy and extremely selfish. He was quiet for a long moment before he spoke again, and his voice carried a little insecurity and nervousness as he spoke.

"Look, Bella, I know we just met last night. I know you said you were engaged, but I just… I don't know what it is yet, but it's more than just wanting to have sex with you; although, I'm dying for that too. I just… shit, I wish I could do this better, smoother…" He trailed off, suddenly sounding so young. The overconfidence and bravado was stripped away, and he seemed vulnerable.

"Jake, I feel it too," I answered his unspoken words, unsure of myself but willing to put myself out there just a little bit for him.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," I breathed.

"Okay, well, I have some stuff to take care of with my family today, but I'll call you tonight, 'kay?"

"Sure, sure," I replied, and just as I was hanging up-my phone was already pulled away from my ear-I heard him whisper something too low for me to understand.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I tried to stay busy. Really tried. I did laundry, I cleaned the apartment, and I went to the grocery store. I even made Alice, Rose and myself an elaborate meal for dinner. We rented some movies and lounged around in the living room while they pressed me for details about our plans tomorrow night. When my phone went off at ten-thirty, I practically jumped out of my skin, almost knocking Rose down as I sprinted across the room and grabbed it off the kitchen counter. It was a text from Jacob.

Is it crazy to miss someone when you've only ever spent a handful of minutes with them?

I smiled to myself, ignoring Rose and Alice's questions and raced to my room, locking the door and diving beneath the covers.

No. I've been thinking about you all day, wishing the minutes would move by faster.

Are you at home?

Yeah.

Next thing I knew, my phone was ringing. I answered it breathlessly on the first ring.

"Hey."

"Hey." His voice was low and smooth as silk. "Marry me," he breathed, asking the same question he had asked when I first met him last night in that crowded bar. I giggled but didn't answer. Truthfully, I wasn't sure if he was joking or serious. The tone of his voice was anything but light, but that was just crazy. We just met last night. And technically, I was still engaged to another man. The sudden thought of that brought a twinge of guilt to me, and I wondered if I should just call Edward and end it now. Even if things didn't work out with Jake, I knew I couldn't marry him. I would always be unhappy, and there would always be something missing.

I was quiet for a moment and decided that maybe tomorrow, either during lunch or after work, I would have to meet with Edward. It wasn't ideal, and I felt like a bitch for rushing it, but truthfully, I couldn't still be technically with Edward if I went to see Jacob tomorrow night because I knew with the way my body and mind were responding to him exactly what was going to happen.

"Tell me something, Bella." Jacob's husky voice broke through my inner musings.

"Like what?" I replied, my voice playful and light.

"Anything. I just want to know more about you," he answered, and I giggled. "What's your last name?"

"Swan. What's yours?"

He didn't answer right away, and I wonderws if he was still there.

"Swan? Like Charlie Swan?" he asked, and my mouth dropped open. How did he know my father's name?

"Uh, yeah…" I answered, more than a little surprised.

"Wow."

"What?" Now I was really confused.

"If I said my last name was Black and my father's name was Billy, would that mean anything to you?" he asked, and I could hear the amusement and smile in his voice. I was shocked; of course I remembered Billy Black. My father and he had been best friends and fishing buddies since before I was even born. And I remembered he had two daughters, both a couple of years older then me, and a boy, Jacob, who used to follow me around and play in the mud with me when I visited in the summers. I had moved to Forks to live with my dad my junior year of high school and had even seen Jake a few times back then. Truth be told, I even had a slight crush on him back then, but I was awkward and shy, and he was always in La Push with his rowdy group of guy friends. It was hard to reconcile that skinny kid with the massive hunk of man I had met and was admittedly already head over heels for at the club the other night. Memories of a warm bonfire the summer before I left for college flooded my mind.

Billy had invited Charlie and me down to First Beach for a bonfire. They were a tradition down on the Rez during the summer and especially for the fourth of July. Jake had grabbed my hand, and I stuck to his side all night. He was always smiling and laughing and joking around with his friends. Everyone, and I mean everyone, seemed to love him, to be charmed by him. He was always so laid back, easy going; it was hard not to relax and have fun in his presence. As the night progressed and the fireworks started, I found myself sitting on an old, bleached piece of driftwood, its gnarled branches half sunk in the white sand, next to Jake. He had his arm slung around my shoulders, and my head was resting against his chest. He was warm, and I felt myself slowly drifting off to the sound of his heartbeat. He gently squeezed my shoulder, and his soft voice brought me out of my dreamlike state.

"Bells?"

"Hmm?" I answered sleepily, pulling back to look up at him. His dark eyes—deep, soulful brown with two tiny freckles of gold-looked into mine, and there was something intense simmering just below the surface. The air between us suddenly felt charged, a palpable kind of tension surrounding us, and I swallowed thickly before he continued.

"Don't forget about me when you go to college, all right?" he said, but it seemed like he was about to say something else. I started to open my mouth to ask what he was thinking, what he really wanted to say, when his warm, strong hand cupped my cheek, his thumb just barely brushing over my lips, and his eyes left mine, making a pathway to my mouth. My heart was hammering away in my chest, my lungs suddenly starved for oxygen, as he slowly leaned forward, his pink tongue darting out to lick his lips just before they met mine. It was warm and sweet, and he gently nudged my lips apart, his tongue sweeping in and tasting mine. I sighed as his fingers slipped backwards into my long hair, fisting it around his hand and crashing his lips harder against mine. There was a slow, simmering hunger behind his kiss, and something inside me, something deeper than my eighteen year old mind could even begin to comprehend, something connected to my soul, understood and relished in a feeling of rightness and contentment. He kissed me until my lips were swollen, and I was completely breathless. He broke away panting, desire and lust a raging fire flickering in his now-black eyes. But before he or I could speak, Charlie was calling me. I saw his looming figure approaching, and I hopped up, whispering a breathy goodbye to Jacob and taking off across the sand.

I hadn't seen him in six years. I left for college a couple of weeks later. Charlie had come to see me most holidays since then. And after college I moved back to Port Angeles. Alice and Rosalie had followed, both getting jobs with the same teaching program I had. Edward came a year later. His family lived in Seattle, and he was able to easily get a job at the hospital due to his father's, Dr. Cullen's, illustrious recommendation. But in two years, I had rarely made it to Forks, much less La Push.

"Bella?" Jacob's deep voice snapped me back to the present, and I gasped. "Well, I guess you did forget about me," he chuckled.

"When did you… did you know that last night?" I asked. Suddenly, the instant attraction, the heat and passion, and the feeling of love at first sight all made sense. Well, at least a little. I still felt off kilter and bewildered.

"Well, I thought you looked familiar, and when you told me your name I was kinda in disbelief but just wrote it off. I thought it just couldn't be. But then you said your last name, and it all just clicked. I mean, it makes sense. I was always in love with you back then." His voice ended on a low and husky note, and images of the past and last night and this morning all played through my mind. I was soaking wet, the center of my thighs throbbing, and I suddenly needed him in the worst way.

"Jake…" I moaned, letting my fingers trail down my body, popping the button of my jeans, and slipping inside my now-ruined panties.

"Bells, honey, come over, please? His voice was a strained whisper, and I knew he needed me as much as I did him. I also knew that it was wrong, that I should at least officially break it off with Edward first, that maybe we were moving too fast. But his next words sucked all coherent thoughts from my lust-filled brain.

"Baby, I need to make you mine. Now," he growled. I found myself agreeing, listening for directions, grabbing a bag, stuffing some clothes inside (because I knew I wasn't coming home tonight, and I did have work tomorrow), and giving Rose and Alice a rushed Cliff notes version before racing out the door, jumping in my old rusty Chevy truck, and speeding down the slick and deserted streets of Port Angles, making it to Jake's apartment in record time.

I made it to the elevator, hitting the button for floor four, and I was impatiently tapping my foot waiting for the silver doors to open. I was practically running down the hall, surprised that I hadn't tripped or fallen flat on my face. A door swung open in the empty hallway, revealing a bare-chested Jake with jeans slung dangerously low on his hips, showing off the sexy V that led to the one thing I needed most. I jumped on him, practically attacking his mouth with mine. His tongue parted my lips, plunging inside my warm depths, and his arms wrapped around my waist, one hand supporting my weight under my thigh, as my legs wrapped around him. He stumbled backwards, spinning around and kicking the door closed. I didn't open my eyes to see his apartment-hell, I didn't even know if he lived alone as my breathy moans grew loud in the quiet space. I felt my back hit the softness of his bed, and the cool air hit my body as he pulled away. I was practically shredding my clothes as I watched him pop open the button of his jeans and remove them and his black boxers. My eyes widened, my mouth gaped open, and I swallowed thickly as I took in his exposed member.

I mean, Jake was a big guy. Tall, broad shoulders, gigantic muscles, and large hands that dwarfed my own, but this… this was… wow. He raised his eyebrows provocatively before lowering himself on top of me, kissing his way to my ear and whispering huskily.

"Don't worry, baby. I'll take care of you."

I just nodded against his smooth skin. His warm, piney musk assaulted my senses, and he brought his mouth back to mine, slowly and languidly kissing me and stealing the breath from my lungs until I was moaning and whimpering for him to touch me. His fingers slid between my slick folds. His strokes were smooth and slow at first, quickly picking up the pace and pressing a little firmer against my sensitive bundle until I was quivering, trembling, screaming his name, and begging for another part of his anatomy to be buried deep inside me. He was slow at first as he entered me to make sure I adjusted to his girth. I winced a little, taking deeps breaths. He kissed my face and lips, my eyes, my nose and then started thrusting slowly as my hips arched up to meet his movements. My knees were up to my chest, his hands rough on my hips guiding our movements as my fingers and teeth dug into his thick muscles. He whispered sweet promises and dirty thoughts into my ear, the contradiction fueling my desire. As I clenched around him again, I felt him finally let go, groaning and breathlessly murmuring my name as he came. He collapsed next to me, pulling me to his side and kissing my forehead gently. I felt myself slowly coming down, my breathing turning deep and even, my eyelids heavy and fluttering closed.

"I love you. Marry me," I heard him whisper into the comfortable silence.

I sighed contentedly, a feeling of rightness washing over me. I literally felt my soul sigh in relief, its voice echoing in my heart, 'Ahh, there he is,' as if it had found its matching piece.

"Yes," I breathed into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The first rays of dawn flooded the small bedroom with a warm, romantic orange glow. My whole body felt like jelly, in the best possible way. I felt a delicious ache as I stretched my body like a cat in the sun. I felt warm, full lips against my face, moving slowly and sweetly down my neck, my arms, kissing each finger before moving over. The thin cotton sheet lifted, and he placed his mouth and hot tongue on my exposed stomach, moving up to nibble and suck my breast. I opened my eyes and gasped at the feeling of his tongue tracing patterns around my hardened nipple. He smirked mischievously up at me, raising himself up and bringing his lips to meet mine. His kiss was amazing and slow and delicious as his tongue dipped in to taste mine. He pulled away, playfully biting my lower lip and smiling that incredible smile. That smile, combined with the intense, unbridled passion, desire, and love in his every movement, his every word, made me literally weak in the knees.

The obnoxious ringing of my cell phone quickly brought me back to reality, when all I wanted to do was stay in this heaven forever. A sticky, smelly heaven. Ugh. That thought had me jumping up, grabbing my phone and dying for a shower.

"Hello?" I answered just before it went to voicemail.

"Bella, it's Alice. Just checking to make sure you're all right." Her musical voice was far too upbeat for so early in the morning.

"Sure, sure. I'm great. I'm just going to take a shower and get dressed. I'll meet you girls at work," I answered, unable to wipe the grin off of my face. I hung up and looked to Jake. He motioned towards the door that led to the bathroom.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll make us some coffee. Towels are under the sink," he directed, and I rushed to the shower before he could tempt me back into bed. Seriously, that man's looks ought to be a crime, and the way he used his tongue and his fingers… Oh, my God… that should be illegal (it might be in a few states). These thoughts and images from last night had me biting my lip to keep from moaning in the shower. When I came back out after towel drying my hair and slipping on my black, lace panties and mismatched pink, polka dot bra, Jake was already back in bed, and two cups of coffee were sitting on the nightstand.

"Come back to bed, Bells," he said seductively, sending shivers down my spine and goose-bumps erupting across my wet skin. I shook my head.

"I have to go to work…" I trailed off as Jake rose from the bed, his eyes dark with lust, the look in the black depths almost primal. My eyes roamed over the hard lines of his body as he walked towards me, focusing on his hard, throbbing…

I gulped as he pushed me up against the dresser, his want for me pressing into my skin as his fingers hooked in the string of my panties.

"How can you go to work without these?" He smiled, and a loud rip sounded as he tore the damp fabric away from my body, lifted me onto the dresser, and pushed inside my wet folds. I cried out in pleasure. His nose nuzzled my neck sweetly, and he whispered his native language into my ear as he thrust inside hard and fast. The contradiction was intoxicating, literally mind blowing, and I exploded around him, cursing and calling his name.

"Oh, fuck, Bella…." he growled as he buried himself deep inside me one final time. The sweat on his shoulders and brow glistened in the morning light, and he collapsed heavily against my shoulder. After a few moments, he pulled away, smiling apologetically and cupping his hands around my cheeks.

"Sorry… I just… damn, baby, you have me so twisted. I just needed you." He paused, searching my eyes for a moment before continuing. "I am so in love with you. Marry me," he said even more purposefully than last night.

"I already said yes."

He smiled, closing his eyes like he was just absorbing that word, this moment. He finally let me down, kissing me one more time sweetly and tenderly against my swollen lips. With my left hand in his, he slowly rubbed his finger over the bare skin of my third finger, smiling to himself.

"I have something for you," he whispered and then disappeared into his closet. I got my clothes out of my bag, pulling on my khakis and a cardigan and twisting my hair up and in place with a clip. I sat down on the bed and started to slip my ballet flats on just as Jake reemerged with a small wooden box with intricate carvings in his hand. He knelt before me, taking my hand in his, and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful, delicate, silver ring with a small diamond and two black stones on either side.

"It's beautiful," I murmured, my fingers ghosting over the sparkling stones.

"It was my mother's," Jacob said softly, and when my eyes met his, I was stunned by the deep emotion flickering in his glistening eyes. He took it out of the box, and it slid so easily onto my hand, like it was made just for me. He pressed his lips together before raising his eyes to mine again and speaking low and purposefully.

"I love you, Bella. And I promise to love you every day for the rest of my life. I know this is all so sudden, but it doesn't feel that way for me. I feel like my heart was literally waiting for you for six years. Like my soul has been missing, and now I found it. Please say you'll marry me and be mine forever?" Two tears rolled down his russet cheeks, and I couldn't help the ones that spilled over my eyes. My heart was bursting.

"Sure, sure," I responded, using his signature phrase that I realized now I always used too. I had just forgotten where it came from. It seemed our hearts and our souls hadn't forgotten each other. He kissed me then, our tears mingling together as we let them fall. He wrapped his arms around me and just held me for what seemed like hours, until I was sure I was going to be late.

Finally, I rushed out the door, full of life and love. Jake called his love out to me as I climbed in my truck. I was suddenly a little nervous about showing up with a new rock on my left hand, answering questions from Alice and Rose. I was also a little sick at the thought of facing Edward and breaking his heart. Deep breaths, Bella, I told myself. It has to be done because there's no way I can live without Jake.

Bella Black. I sighed in contentment, dreaming of a life with Jake like a love-sick school girl. I'd never really been a fan of marriage, seeing as my parents were divorced, and even though I'd agreed to marry Edward, I was definitely not a fan of weddings. But I couldn't keep myself from day-dreaming of Jacob's sexy body in a black tux and riding off into the sunset on a black, rumbling motorcycle. Mmmmm, god, that man was all sorts of fine. And to top it off, he was in love with me and kind and funny and considerate. God, I felt like I'd just won the fucking lottery. Literally.

The drive to work flew by, and as I was stepping out of my car, bracing myself for the day ahead, a silver Volvo parked two cars down caught my eye.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I quickly, and I mean with inhuman speed, slipped Jake's ring off my finger and stuffed it in the front pocket of my khakis. I was nervous, jittery, and feeling pretty guilty as I watched Edward, with his tousled bronze hair and clenched jaw, emerge from his car and walk towards me.

I gulped and braced for impact. I knew that it was really fucked up of me to accept Jake's proposal when I hadn't even official broken up with Edward yet. But, damn, that man had me twisted. Of course, me walking out of our apartment and slamming the door in his face while cursing and promising never to return and then not answering any of his calls for several days, almost a week now, sent a pretty clear message. Even so, we had spent years in this relationship, and I hadn't given him back his ring, so he deserved a little more of an explanation, a little more closure.

He stood stoic and emotionless in front of me, and I felt the guilt fade and a slow anger rising inside me. Yeah, he looked pretty unaffected by my departure. This… this was exactly why Jake's heart-on-his -sleeve, open, affectionate demeanor had me hook, line, and sinker. Why those cheesy lines and puppy dog eyes could render me speechless and cause me to melt into his arms like a lovesick fool.

Suddenly, I felt a little sick. Had I just been so desperate for love, attention, affection, and, let's face it, mind-blowing sex, that I fell for it all? Was this just a game to him? Maybe after he really got to know me, he'd change his mind…

I groaned internally and mentally face-palmed myself. And then I sent up one silent prayer begging for Jake not to be a dream. That gorgeous Prince Charming was suddenly the personification of everything my life had been missing and everything I suddenly couldn't live without.

"Hi, Bella," Edward said blandly, and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.

"Hello, Edward," I replied back, trying to soften the harshness in my tone.

"I need the ring back." Well, no use in beating around the bush or fighting for me or anything. Not that I wanted him to, I guess, but it still stung a little. What really irked me was the fact that I allowed myself to stay with someone who obviously didn't love me. I just nodded, not even sure what to say in this awkward, tension-filled moment, and dug around in my purse, searching and searching… oh, shit!

And as if on cue, a shiny black motorcycle with a scrumptious and dangerously sexy looking Jacob Black rolled up. His large, cheeky grin and the twinkle in his eyes dimmed the moment he saw Edward standing in front of me.

Oh, great.

Maybe Edward didn't love me, but he was a man with a lot of pride. His family was well-known, and he was about to get a seriously bruised ego because Jake wasn't one to hide or shy away from a confrontation. And the smug look on his face as he swung his leg over the bike, tucking his helmet under his arm and strolling over to me with the little box with my ring that must have fallen out of my purse in his hand, had me gulping and praying.

"Hey, beautiful. You left this," he said confidently, completely ignoring Edward and holding out the object in his hand.

"Um, thanks," I said meekly, taking the box and just hoping that he'd take the hint from the fear in my eyes. Edward and I had been over for a long time before this, but there was no need to rub it in his face. But he just couldn't resist and laced our fingers together, leaning over and kissing me on the cheek. I looked to Edward, who was practically gnashing his teeth together.

"What the fuck is this, Bella?" he roared, stepping closer to me.

"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" Jake snarled back. Edward grabbed my arm, yanking me towards him. No need to go all caveman or anything.

"You're such a little whore. I can't believe you!" Edward erupted, his eyes darkening with rage. But one look at Jake, and I suddenly was sure I'd never seen anger or rage or a murderous expression until that moment. His nostril were flaring, his teeth grinding together, and his eyes pitch black and trained on Edward. It all happened so quickly after that. Jacob grabbed me and pulled me protectively behind him, then he released me, and as I turned to look, I saw Jake's large fist connect with Edward's jaw, and Edward stumbled back, clearly shocked. But Jake wasn't finished; he grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him up against his car, growling only inches from his face.

"Don't ever talk to her like that again. In fact, don't ever talk to her again. Got it?" His voice was steady, low and menacing, and rang with authority. It probably helped that he was several inches taller and outweighed Edward by at least fifty pounds. Edward shoved Jake off of him, sulking, and walked around to open the door to his car.

"Whatever, you can have her," he stated bluntly before getting back in his car. I was stunned, unable to move or speak. Jake walked calmly back over to me, yanked the black box out of my hands, and marched back to the car, tossing it in the open passenger side window. Edward sped off in a flurry of squealing tires and dust.

What the hell just happened? I was suddenly mad at Jake. I mean, what did he expect to happen? He knew who was standing across from me. He had to have known. He practically picked a fight with him. It was like him saying, 'Yeah, I stole your girl.' Maybe it wasn't true exactly, but any guy would get there pride and ego hurt like that. Especially someone like Edward Cullen. When Jake turned back to me with that stupid smirk on his face, I had a scowl on mine. He furrowed his eyebrows and walked towards me, curling his fingers under my chin so he could lift my face up to his.

"What?" he asked innocently. To be honest, the minute his skin touched mine, most of the anger had already started to fade, and I almost lost my resolve. But I took a deep breath and mustered it back up.

"Jacob Black. You can't go around acting like a fucking caveman. Especially when it's my ex-fiancé!" I screamed, and he flinched, backing away and dropping his hand from my face.

"Sorry, I just…" he stammered, dropping his eyes, and then it was my turn to panic again when I saw his eyes narrow on my bare left ring finger. He grabbed it roughly, yanking it into his field of vision and then shoving my hand back in my face.

"Well, where's your ring?" he asked, letting the venom leak into his voice.

"I-I…" I wasn't sure how to answer him without hurting his feelings.

"Are you ashamed or something? Sorry it's not some big fucking rock like that douchebag bought you!" he shouted, dropping my hand and literally glaring at me.

"No! Jake, it's not that. I don't care about that! I love the ring you gave me. It's just... I mean, I haven't told anyone yet, and it's all been so fast, and then Edward was here and…" I trailed off, uselessly pleading with him.

"You know what, Bella?" he said dejectedly but still with anger in his voice. He went to straddle his sleek motorcycle, putting on the helmet and kick-starting the roaring engine into life. "I got to go to work. I'll call you later." And just like that he sped off, leaving me standing in the parking lot wondering how my perfect morning turned so sour.

And then I looked around to the crowded parking lot, my cheeks flushed bright scarlet red, and I hurriedly made my way inside the building, grumbling incoherently to myself and trying to avoid the whispers and stares. If I was lucky, hopefully I wouldn't get fired to top it all off.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

JPOV

Fuck.

I revved the engine and sped down the slick streets, my fingers tightly clenched around the handlebars and my breathing heavy with anger and frustration.

Christ, I just loved that girl so goddamn much. I knew it sounded crazy. We had just reconnected a couple of days ago, but I had been in love with Bella Swan my whole life. And even though I didn't realize it was her at first, I had immediately felt that same pull towards her.

She just looked so amazing. Her wavy long brown hair framed her face and spilled over shoulders, cascading in tousled waves down her back. And the contrast between the darkness of her hair and the paleness of her skin was beautiful. Her warm eyes were like melted chocolate, and I found myself drowning in them from the time I laid eyes on her from across that crowded bar. The feel of her silky smooth hand in mind was so intoxicating. Her blushing cheeks and sweet voice pulled me in more, and before I knew it, I was falling head over heels in love with her. Right there. In the middle of a smoky, loud bar, without even a name to remember.

I couldn't think after that night. My body and my thoughts were consumed with her. I had never needed someone so badly. And she didn't even know how beautiful she really was. How absolutely perfect.

And I went and fucked it all up.

Goddammit.

I made it to the shop in record time and ignored the curious stares from the boys as I trudged into my office and slammed the door. I plopped into the overstuffed leather chair that was literally falling apart, and it squeaked in protest under my weight. I rubbed my palms over my face angrily. I was like a wild animal when that douchebag spoke to her that way. It really pissed me off. And then when he grabbed her, I saw red. I was just glad I had enough control to rein it in before I seriously hurt him.

But then she looked a little unsure, like she was questioning everything, and then I noticed the ring was missing. I had to choke back the tears. I felt like she could hear my heart breaking. God, I knew I was being melodramatic, but I was just so turned inside out for this girl. To be honest, I was terrified. All two hundred and fifty pounds, six feet seven inches of me, scared of a barely over five foot, tiny little brunette.

I groaned again.

No matter what I did, I just couldn't get the images of her brown hair as it fell wildly against my pillow or tickled my skin, her smooth, soft skin slick with sweat trembling against mine, or her soft moans as her nails scratched down my back out of my mind.

Fuck.

I tried to focus on work, catching up on paperwork and such for a while, but it wasn't a good enough distraction. So I buried myself underneath a beat-up classic a customer had dropped off for some restoration work.

"Hey, man, you okay?" Embry asked, kicking at my shoes that were sticking out from my spot underneath the car.

"Sure, sure," I answered quickly, trying to sound not angry or upset like a freaking girl.

"All right, well, we're still on for tonight, right?" he asked and dropped the tool I was working with, cussing and muttering under my breath. I pushed myself out from under the old heap and sat up.

"What time is it now?" I asked, looking around and noticing everyone else was already gone.

"Almost six," he answered. I groaned again and stood up.

"Yeah, let me wash up, and I'll meet you at my place. You're bringing some beer, right?" I mumbled, walking towards the bathroom to scrub some of the grime off my hands.

"Sure. You bringing that girl you were talking about yesterday? And her friends?" he asked, his eyebrows wiggling and eyes twinkling. I groaned again. Like she would even want to see me now. Not to mention I had planned on telling our friends about the engagement. But now I wasn't sure she would even want to tell anyone. Or if we were even still engaged. Fuck, how did I manage to mess this up so bad?

"You remember Bella Swan?" I asked, and Embry's eyes widened.

"Chief Swan's daughter? Yeah, I remember you pining for all through high school and never getting up enough courage to ask her out." He chortled. I rolled my eyes.

"Actually, I kissed her once at the Fourth of July bonfire, remember?" I tried to regain some of my dignity.

"Yeah, whatever you say, man."

I rolled my eyes again.

"Wait, is that the girl you met at the bar the other night?" He finally caught on.

"Yeah," I answered. "But I think I just really fucked everything up." I sighed and leaned against the sink in the bathroom.

"What happened?" he asked. Embry was always the one to talk to about girl problems. Any of the other guys would have just made fun of me. So I told him about last night and this morning and giving her my mother's ring. Then I told him about the fight in the parking lot and then my fight with Bella.

"Just call her and apologize, Jake. You've loved this girl since you were like four. And then you just happen to find her at some random bar here in Port Angeles all these years later? And you even said you were falling for her before you even realized it was her. That's fate, man. Call her. Apologize. I'll meet you at your place," he said, slapping me on the back and walking away. Okay, so just call her, apologize, and beg like hell. I can do this. I'd do anything for her.

My hands were unsteady as I dug my cell out of my pocket. I was shocked to find a text message from Bella from about an hour ago. I opened it, my hands shaking, and read the words that would make or break me.

I'm sorry. I love you. Marry me?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

BPOV

My hands were slick with sweat and shaky with nerves. _Why am I so nervous?_ I kept asking myself. Maybe because except for his simple text—_**Today and every day-**_I hadn't talked to Jake since our fight. But he responded, so obviously he wasn't still mad, right? God, these last few days had really turned my world upside down. Everything before I saw Jake at that bar seems blurry and fuzzy, inconsequential, like I can't even remember my life without him.

"Come on, Bella. Let's go!" Rose hollered. I checked my appearance in the mirror one last time, smoothing my long brown hair and trying to take a few deep breaths to calm myself. I slipped on the beautiful ring Jake had given me this morning and walked out my bedroom door. I was kind of hoping Rose and Alice wouldn't notice the new gem on my left ring finger. I hadn't exactly told them about the engagement yet. Even though they seemed happy and supportive, I knew they might be a little apprehensive about such a quick change. Hell, I was a little worried too. But not because it felt too fast. I was terrified because it didn't. It felt more real than anything I'd ever felt, more right, more natural… just more.

I mean, something had to go wrong, right?

"Bella!" Alice's chipper, squealing voice exclaimed the minute I grabbed my purse—with my left hand—from the hook by the door. _Shit_. I froze for a moment, then she yanked my hand towards her, holding the pretty diamond and sparkling black stones to her face.

"Bella, what is that?" Rosie said slowly. I looked up to see both their faces contorted with a mixture of worry and surprise. I cleared my throat nervously before speaking.

"Um… look, I know it seems a little fast—" I began, but was quickly cut off.

"A little fast?" Rosalie exclaimed, exchanging a quick glance with Alice. I rolled my eyes, suddenly feeling very impatient and annoyed. I wasn't a child, and they needed to calm down.

"Okay, so maybe it's really fast. And I don't expect you guys to understand, but…" I took a deep breath, searching for the right words to ease the worries of my two best friends, who were more like sisters. Truthfully, I didn't have much family except for Charlie and Renee—my mother, who lived across the country—and now that the Cullens were out of my life, they were all I had. And thinking about the way I felt about Jake, trying to put that emotion, those wonderful, all-consuming feelings into words, caused a warmth to bubble up inside me and spread through my limbs. I could feel the tears collecting in my eyes, my heart swelling with affection and love and my voice catching as the emotions were literally caught in my throat. "I-I _love_ him, guys. I mean, I don't even think that word can really describe it. I've never felt this way, never even imagined I _could_ feel this way. You'll see, he's just—"

"Bella, if you say perfect, I'm going to scre—" Rosalie started, teeth clenched, no doubt remembering me describing Edward. I held up my hand to stop her protest. At one point, I had thought that Edward was the perfect guy. The kind of guy every good American girl was supposed to fall for, supposed to swoon for, supposed to want to take home to mom and dad… but maybe I just wasn't that girl. I wanted Jacob, the hunky, sweaty mechanic that had been my childhood and high school crush.

"He's not perfect. But god, he's perfect for me. It just feels so… _right_." I sighed, kind of like a teenage girl swooning over her crush or the latest teen heartthrob. But that's just how Jake made me feel. Like a virgin. I laughed sarcastically at myself and the bad eighties music that my brain was conjuring up. God, it was like I was in high school all over again. "I love him, girls, and I'm going to marry him," I finished, my voice stronger and surer than it had ever been before. They exchanged one more glance with each other, and then I saw both their shoulders visibly relax.

"So…" Alice began as we all made our way outside. I looked over at her as I opened the back door to Alice's car and quirked an eyebrow up at her.

"Yes, Alice?" I said patiently.

"Do his friends look like him?" she asked curiously, unashamed and not hiding the fact that she was hoping they were as drool-worthy as my Jacob. I laughed.

"Well, I haven't really seen them since high school, so I don't know," I answered honestly. I had already told them that Jake and I knew each other back then.

We were laughing and talking as we drove across town on the rain-slicked streets. I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket, and a smile spread across my face as I looked to see it was Jake calling.

"Hey," I said softly, meeting Rosalie's eyes as she twisted in her seat. She rolled her eyes at my tone.

"Hey, honey. I'm so sorry about this morning. I love you so much," he said sincerely.

"I know, baby. I love you too. I'm sorry too," I replied, and I could feel my lungs finally expanding fully at the sound of his voice and reassurance.

"Are you and your friends on your way?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure, sure. We just left a—" I was cut off as I looked up to be blinded by a bright yellow light. A scream erupted from my throat as the sound of screeching metal, shattered glass, and squealing breaks filled the night air. The scream died in my throat as the car flipped and the phone fell from my hands. My head slammed hard back onto the side of the car, causing my vision to become spotted. The sickening smell of rust and salt filled the air. My stomach churned violently, and I heard Jake's frantic voice shouting through the dropped phone, calling my name, as I slipped into darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

JPOV

All the blood quickly drained from my face, and the world around me disappeared as I heard her panicked scream, tires squealing, and the loud crash of two cars colliding.

"Bella! Bella!" I screamed, my voice thundering in the small space and bile and panic rising in my throat. With my friends calling out behind me, I rushed out the door and jumped on my bike, kick-starting the loud, rumbling engine and taking off down the road. My friends were left standing on the curb, mouths hanging wide open.

It was a small town, and I knew she was on her way here, so it didn't take me long to stumble upon the horrific scene. The cops were just arriving with their swirling red and blue lights flashing. The sight of the twisted metal and shattered glass caused my stomach to churn, and something cold and hard gripped my heart. Oh, please, God… I sent up a half-formed, silent prayer.

There was already a crowd of people, paramedics, police and nosey citizens that I had to push through. Just as I was able to free myself from the throngs of people , a burly-looking officer grabbed my arm. I jerked it away, glaring at the man standing between me and my Bella.

"Let go. That's my fucking fiancé!" I roared at the man, pointing towards the gruesome scene. He studied me for another moment, and then his eyes softened and he nodded for me to pass. I rushed past him and saw a couple of paramedics trying to pull someone from the wreckage. It wasn't Bella. I looked around, my eyes flickering nervously over the scene, trying to find her. I saw a tuft of tangled brown hair, and I practically pulled the beaten up door off its hinges trying to extract her.

I gasped at the sight of her seemingly-lifeless, limp body slung over the back seat. I scooped her up in my arms, thankful to feel her chest rise and fall with shallow breaths and her heart beating in her chest. I swallowed around the lump forming in my throat, choking me with emotions and terror. I hugged her to me, smoothing the hair away from her face. That's when I saw the trickle of blood, bright red and glistening, coming from her temple. I tried to inspect it, but two paramedics gently took her from me and placed her on a stretcher. I felt shocked and stunned, unable to move as I watched them check her vitals and injuries and load her into the ambulance. I could feel the sharp stinging of tears in my eyes, clouding my vision, but I refused to let them fall. She's going to be okay. She has to be.

"You coming?" one of the young–looking, blond paramedics said. I looked at him, his face fuzzy, and I swallowed thickly as I nodded. I got in the back and crouched down next to the only woman I had ever loved, grasping her cold fingers in mine. My eyes took in her features, and I noticed the faint pink blush that still stained her lips. And somehow, that small thing filled me with renewed strength.

I bent down and slowly kissed her tender, soft lips ever so gently as one tear escaped my eye and landed on her pale skin.

"I love you, baby," I whispered brokenly, squeezing her hand a little tighter. I felt something sharp push into my palm and looked down curiously. My mother's ring with its modest, pretty diamond and dark onyx gems was there smiling up at me. I closed my eyes and took a deep, tortured breath.

I was only a kid when my mother died, but I still remember her. I can still see her face and smell her perfume of pancakes and flowers. I can feel my insides clench and turn rigid as the memories of her and her funeral, of her dying in the same car accident that paralyzed my father, came crashing back down on me. I can still remember with startling clarity the look on my father's face when he told my sisters and me what happened.

It was painful for me and for my twin sisters who were only ten at the time. But my dad, he was never the same. He blamed himself even though the accident report said it was the other driver who swerved into his lane. But he was driving. He started drinking shortly after that-never hit us or yelled at us-was just a zombie drinking away his pain and silently crying, hiding away from the world. My sisters took charge, especially Rachel. She made sure I was fed, bathed, clothed, and helped me with my homework. After a few months, I remember Bella's father and my dad's other friend Harry stepped in. I didn't know if Bella even knew that story.

Harry's wife Sue took me and my sisters to her house for two weeks. She took us shopping and bought us some decent clothes, made us home cooked meals, and made sure we got to school. It was always like that on the rez though. We were all one big family. Even Charlie, a paleface. He and Harry took my dad to dry out somewhere, and when he came back, he was much better. Sober and clean shaven. After that, things got better. Dad was back to being a good dad, taking care of us and himself. Charlie and Harry and Sue were always around, too. Harry died a few years later, and Charlie was even more of a presence in our lives.

But I could always tell when my dad was thinking about her. He never really let go. Never moved on. Truthfully, I never fully understood until just this moment. As I held onto Bella's icy fingers with my mother's ring on her left hand, I felt myself just barely holding on… by a single heartbeat.

I closed my eyes and focused on the sound of her heart and the feel of her pulse continuous and strong. This was the longest ten minute ride of my life as more memories flashed through my mind.

Bella, when she was all arms and legs and ratty brown hair. She would come to Forks and visit Charlie some summers and holidays, and I always loved her. Even then, as a six, eight, ten, twelve year old kid. I knew it then, without a doubt. She was awkward and shy and spent most of her time inside with her nose in a book. One time, I got her to go to the beach with me. I was probably seven or eight, and she was a year older than me. The sun was setting, casting beautiful pink and orange streaks across the darkening sky. I had watched enough movies to know that walking on the beach at sunset was romantic. Yeah, even at seven, I had a thing for girls and romance. She was quiet, as usual, as we strolled down the pebble beach. I was trying to work up my courage to take her hand when I felt her tiny, pale fingers slip effortlessly into mine. I looked up from where my eyes had been trained on the sand in front of us, and they widened in surprise. She offered me this shy, beautiful, little smile that made my heart flutter, and I swore I would do anything to make her smile from then on.

I felt the ambulance pull up to the emergency room, doctors and nurses frantic and shouting as they lifted her off the back of the ambulance and wheeled her away from me down the hall. I stood there, and the stark white walls, cacophony of sounds and noises that filled the small space, and that aroma of disinfectant and something else common to all hospitals greeted me. I sat down in a chair, oblivious to everything else for a long time. A new thought tickled the back of my mind. Charlie. I needed to call Charlie. I fished my phone out of my pants and dialed the number to a man that had been like a second father to me.

"Hello? Jake?" a gruff, familiar voice answered. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself before I answered.

"Yeah, Charlie. It's me," I croaked out, and I knew my ragged voice betrayed me.

"What's wrong, son? Is your old man okay?" He sounded concerned now. How was I supposed to tell him this? I swallowed thickly again as I searched for the words.

"Sure, sure," I paused, then, "It's… Charlie, it's Bella." My voice was shaky and fresh tears collected in my tired, bloodshot eyes. It was silent for a long time.

"What? What do you mean, Jake? What happened? Is she okay?" He was shouting now, frantic and panicked. I heard him shuffling around, no doubt grabbing his gun and keys and calling for Sue.

"Um, she was in a car accident, Charlie. I'm at the hospital now, in Port Angeles." I spoke slowly and steady, trying to keep calm.

"How—no never mind that now. I'm on my way," he spoke quickly and hung up without saying anything else. Time seemed to crawl by as I watched the doors of the emergency room swing open from time to time, waiting for news, any news. I propped my elbows on my knees and hung my head in my hands. More memories of Bella surfaced.

After that first time she held my hand on the beach, I was no longer afraid to take hers. Every chance I got, I held her hand. When I was twelve and her thirteen, we had been sitting at her house, watching the game with Charlie and Dad. Even then Bella used to cook a full meal. She was always taking care of Charlie in that way. After dinner, I went into the kitchen to help her wash dishes. She was washing; I was drying. Really, I was watching her. Her cheeks were bright pink with that adorable blush, her dark hair long and striking against her pale skin. From time to time, her soulful brown eyes would meet mine, and I'd smirk and she'd blush harder and drop her eyes back to the dirty dish water. When she looked at me again, I splashed some water at her, and she giggled and splashed back. There was something there, even then, something undeniable. We continued splashing, soaking ourselves as well as the floor and giggling. Being Bella, she slipped on the slick tile floor and almost crashed, except that I caught her. When she looked up at me under her thick lashes, our faces so close I could feel her breath tickle my skin, the laughter died in our throats, and a new energy that we'd never felt before and I wasn't even sure what to do with filled the air between us. I gulped loudly, suddenly aware of the proximity of her lips. Soft pink lips that I would have many, many fantasies about for years to come. I licked my lips in anticipation as I leaned forward, my arms tightening around her small frame. Her eyes fluttered close, her lips parted slightly, and I knew, even though I was only twelve, I knew this was an invitation. Just as I felt those soft pretty lips brush against mine, Charlie walked in, clearing his throat loudly. I dropped her, onto the floor, where she yelped when her butt hit the hard and wet kitchen floor. Embarrassed, her face burning scarlet, she ran out of the room and up the stairs. She didn't come back down that night. And a few days later when she came to the rez and we were walking on the beach, she was acting awkward and unsure until I took her hand in mine and offered her a wide grin. She smiled back tentatively and relaxed a little as I intertwined our fingers.

"Jake!" Charlie's voice broke through my reverie, and I saw the gruff, burly looking police chief, gun holster and all, barreling his way through the crowded emergency room. I swallowed thickly again as I stared at the metal of his gun glinting under the harsh hospital lights. I wasn't sure how happy Charlie was going to be to learn about me and his daughter. Shit. I had been so caught up in Bella-land I hadn't thought about Charlie and his overprotective, gun-carrying self.

"Hey, Charlie," I answered as he and Sue approached. Sue looked frazzled and more than a little worried. She and Charlie had started dating a few years ago and were planning on getting married sometime next summer. Sue had two kids, Seth and Sam. I spotted Embry and Quil coming through the sliding glass doors next. I took another shaky breath, and Charlie looked at me strangely. After a moment, like the very perceptive man he had always been, he scoffed and then chuckled, running a hand through his disheveled, reddish-brown hair, his classic mustache twitching with his laughter—hand on his gun. I gulped.

But he just slapped me on the back and then pulled me in for an awkward hug.

"About time," he commented. "Now tell me what's going on. Have you talked to any doctors?"

I was surprised at how calm he was. I shook my head and opened my mouth to speak, but the words died on my lips as that bronze haired, tall, skinny, pale douchebag ex of Bella's strolled through the swinging doors. His eyes scanned the crowded waiting room, finally landing on me. His jaw clenched as did mine as our eyes locked. Of course, a fucking doctor. That smug bastard. He walked over to us, greeting Charlie, who seemed just as annoyed with his presence as I did (no wonder he never mentioned him).

"She's going to be okay. Still unconscious but stable. They're going to admit her and get her set up, and then you can see her," he said in that stupid doctor voice. Calm down, Jake, I chastised myself. She chose you, and she's okay.

The wait to see Bella seemed like it took an eternity. A sweet older nurse came out and handed me a plastic bag with my mother's ring inside. Charlie and I exchanged a look as I took it in my hands. He chuckled.

"Well, that's good. Wouldn't want to have to kill you, son," he said, still chuckling, but I felt the truth and promise behind his joking. After Charlie saw her, I finally was allowed to go in. She looked a little better. They had cleaned the dried blood and dirt off her face and picked out the shattered glass bits that had been embedded in her cheeks. She had a large white bandage taped to the side of her head, an IV in her arm, and some other machines hooked up and beeping out information. I sighed heavily and dropped into the chair next to her bed, taking her hand in mine. I intertwined our fingers and placed one small kiss on the backside of her hand before leaning my forehead against it. My shoulders slumped, and my eyes closed, dreams of Bella filling my mind.

I remembered when she first came back to Forks. We didn't see each other as much those couple of years before she left for college. I was young and had a pack of rowdy friends always around. And Bella was still quiet and shy. But every time we were together, I still held her hand, and sometimes even got brave enough to wrap my arms around her when we sat around a bonfire at the beach. The summer before she left though, I finally stole a kiss. But it wasn't just any kiss. It was full of promises, soft and sweet a t first, but quickly turned heated. She was gone before I could even ask her to stay. It's funny I didn't recognize her at first in that dingy, crowded bar. Even when she said her name was Bella, and my heart thumped knowingly in my chest, I dismissed it as mere coincidence. But once I figured it out, there was no turning back. Fiancé or not, she was mine.

Hours later, I was still slumped over her bed, one hand still wrapped around hers, the other arm flung over her legs, and my face pressed against the mattress. I was surprised when I started to come to that the nurses had let me stay. Must have felt sorry for me, I guessed. The din of the hospital was quiet now; the only sound was our mingled breaths and the soft hum of machines. I didn't move or open my eyes, just curled my arm tighter around her legs and pulled myself closer to her warm body. I froze suddenly as the most beautiful feeling of her fingers gently squeezing mine registered, and I sat straight up, staring at her still-closed eyes.

"Jake," she moaned quietly, her chapped lips barely moving with the sound, and my heart swelled and jumped with joy.

"I'm here, honey. I'm here," I reassured her, leaning down to softly kiss her pink lips.

I sat there, unmoving, barely breathing, and not seeing or hearing or feeling anything but her: the gentle rise and fall of her chest, the whir of machines, the warmth that was slowly returning to her small hands that I held. Occasionally, she stirred, her eyes fluttering, my name whispered from her lips. But it was only ever a few minutes or sometimes seconds before unconsciousness would pull her back under.

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A/N: Oh my! I know I have really left this story hanging, but I am working on it, I promise!


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight or these characters!**_

_**Warning: may contain adult themes.**_

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**Chapter 9**

**BPOV**

I felt something warm against my skin. It took me several minutes to recognize it was a hand wrapped around mine. A man's hand. His fingers were calloused and rough, but his touch so tender and soft. I heard the gentle hum of machines around me next. I slowly remembered where I was. The hospital.

My eyelids fluttered open. I was prepared to be assaulted by bright lights, but the room was dim, just a sliver of light from the window lightening the darkness. I took in the small room and tried to sit up. My whole body ached, but I managed to get into a sitting position.

Jake's fingers twitched against mine. I looked over at him slumped down into a hard chair. His other hand was folded together, his head resting on his closed fist. He looked tired. Ragged. His dark hair hung limply across his brow, and I could see the dark circles under his eyes.

I gently squeezed his hand, and his eyes shot open.

"Bells," he whispered, leaning forward and capturing my lips with his instantly, before I even had a chance to respond or think or take a deep breath. His hands came up to frame my face, tender and rough, his long, calloused fingers stroked my cheeks, caught my tears, and slid back into my hair.

There was nothing in his kiss that told me he thought I was breakable, but everything about it told me he was terrified he'd lost me. A strong, intense need for him burned in my gut, and I raised my arms to wrap around his neck. One of his hands left my hair and snaked around my waist, holding me to him effortlessly. He was softly chanting my name over and over again, promising his love. His tears were warm and salty against my skin.

When he finally pulled away after several small kisses against my dry lips, his dark eyes shone with so much emotion it stole my breath away. He fell to his knees—both his knees—kissing my hand where his mother's ring sat.

"Marry me, Bells. Tell me the moment I can take you home that you'll marry me," he exhaled heavily, his voice shaky, but his whole face, every line of his features, the set of his jaw and shoulders, told me he was completely serious and desperate for my response.

"Yes," I said, and he kissed me again until I was breathless, he was panting, and my heart monitor was beeping crazily. A nurse running in caused the bubble to burst, and he pulled away from me. My cheeks burned a bright scarlet, but Jake just smirked and moved aside to let her work.

A few hours later, after I had been fretted over by my mom, who'd apparently flown in just that morning, and Charlie, who stood a little awkwardly with a suspicious brightness to his brown eyes next to my hospital bed, the doctor had deemed me ready to leave the next morning. I was relieved and elated... and filled with anxious butterflies. I felt little pinpricks of electricity all over my clammy skin thinking about what Jake had said.

That tomorrow we were flying to Las Vegas to get married. Just us.

_**~000~**_

"Ready?" Jake asked, taking my hand as we stepped into the elevator from the honeymoon suite of the Venetian hotel on the Vegas strip. I looked up at him with bright eyes. My heart was fluttering as fast as a hummingbird's wings, my throat was dry and scratchy, and my knees were weak—

But I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, somewhere deep inside me, in my bones, that this was right. That this—me and Jake—was how it was meant to be.

I nodded my head, my lips stretching out into large—albeit anxious—smile.

"It's just us, Bells. Don't be nervous. Just you, me, and a preacher or Justice of the Peace... or whatever," he assured, leaning down to kiss my cheek softly. I nodded again.

It seemed like it was only a few minutes later that I was standing alone in the back of a small, white chapel, clutching a small bouquet of yellow roses, interspersed with red tulips. I opted for a dress, even though Jake said he would have been perfectly happy with me in my jeans, a faded t-shirt (preferably his, since he loved to see me in his clothes) and my ratty old sneakers. But Renee had loaned me her dress, a faded white, simple, tea-length sun dress. And Sue had loaned me her pearls. It was nice to have some of my family with me today, even though I was glad it was simple, and it was just me and Jake.

Alice and Rosalie had wanted to come, but both of them were still recovering. Apparently, I'd taken the brunt of the accident, but Alice had needed a few stitches, and Rosalie had a mild concussion. They packed my bag though, and there was an assortment of frilly, lacy, very French-looking lingerie in my suitcase.

The music started playing, and I walked slowly into the small chapel to the start of the narrow aisle. My breath caught at the sight of Jake. He was wearing some black slacks and a white, thin cotton, long sleeve, button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His tan skin contrasted perfectly against the crisp white shirt. His black hair was pushed back from his face.

But it wasn't these things that made me have to remind myself to breathe. It was the look in his eyes, the silent, soft tears that trickled down his russet cheeks and fell from his square, rugged jaw. I didn't realize until I was standing in front of him and he took my small trembling hand in one of his and stroked his thumb across my cheek that I was crying too.

"I love you," he choked out, and I repeated the same in an almost inaudible whisper, overwhelmed by the emotions swimming inside me.

The ceremony itself was short, and it only took Jake a few minutes, seconds really, to rush us back to our room. He pushed me up against the elevator wall, kissing me frantically, all but ripping the white dress from my arching body.

When the doors chimed open, we stumbled our way down the hall, and he deftly unlocked our door with the card key. I backed away from him, slowly sliding the dress off my shoulders, a sly little smirk playing at the corner of my mouth.

His eyes narrowed and darkened-they were almost black with lust and want-as he stalked towards me. He grabbed the front of his shirt and ripped it open. The silver buttons went bouncing around the room, and he shrugged it off.

Damn, the man was sexy-his shoulders broad, his chest muscles hard, and his abs ripped. His tan skin was smooth; his arms muscles looked like thick ropes underneath. My mouth watered at the sight. It felt like forever since we'd been together, since he'd really touched me, been inside me. And the deep ache between my thighs was throbbing with need.

The back of my legs collided with the foot of the bed, which was littered with rose petals, just as I dropped the dress into a puddle on the floor. Jake's pants were gone in a flash as well as his boxers. I fell back onto the thick mattress, my hair fanning out behind me, as he stepped in between my thighs.

My eyes traveled up and down his body once, taking in the sight of him, hard for me, before our eyes locked, and I was unable to look away. His strong hands glided up my legs, his fingers just barely brushing the sensitive skin. I pressed my lips together and waited for him to touch me, but he didn't.

He fell to his knees, his lips to my inner thigh, kissing a slow, blazing trail up, and his scruffy cheeks with his day old stubble scratched a delicious sensation across my skin. When his mouth finally touched my wetness, I thought I would combust.

Jake's soft tongue parted my folds, delving inside me as his thumb came up to apply pressure to my sensitive bundle. My hands fisted in the sheets, and I moaned his name as he made love to me with his tongue.

He lapped at my wetness until he couldn't stand it any longer and climbed up my body, taking my lips in a fierce hungry kiss. His mouth was warm and soft, and I could taste myself on his tongue, causing me to moan against his lips. Jake hovered above me, leaning on his elbows with one hand fisted in my hair as he slid his hard thickness inside me slowly, inch by inch, and our eyes were open, watery, and full of the love we shared.

His fingers intertwined with mine, raising our hands above my head, as his thrust became a little deeper, a little faster, and he leaned down to kiss me. His lips met mine briefly then they grazed along my jawline and up to that spot behind my ear. He flicked his tongue out against my pulse at just the right moment, burying himself deep inside me. The tingling sensation of my orgasm shot through my body, coursing through my veins and burning along my nerve endings. The tingles licked up my body and across my heated skin like flames consuming me.

"I love you, Mrs. Bella Black," he whispered into my neck. I felt my throat close at hearing my new name. It sounded so—

Perfect. Easy. Unbelievably amazing.

I fell asleep in the crook of his arm that night. We woke up just before dawn, ravenous for each other, and made love until the sun came up, casting bright, brilliant streaks of golden white sunshine into our hotel room. He was tender and gentle, rough and hungry. I was screaming his name breathlessly into the sheets when he flipped me over and shoved inside me from behind.

"I love you," he whispered, "I'll always love you; I'll always want you."

His promises, his vows, filled the room and my heart until it felt as if it would burst from the satisfied contentment. At one point, he held me to him, and I could feel his shoulders shaking; I knew he was thinking about how he'd almost lost me.

"You'll never lose me," I promised, "Never."

_The End._

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A/N: Thank you to _**jkane180**_ for being an awesome beta and friend! And forcing me to finish this fic! Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, it really means so much to me and I hope everyone enjoyed this story!


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